Google’s Rubin: No Need for Retail Stores

Despite reports that Google has been eyeing real estate for physical stores, Android chief Andy Rubin says the company really doesn’t need its own retail effort.
A few years ago, consumers needed to touch and feel devices, but these days they can often get the information they need to make a purchase decision by talking to friends and reading reviews.

Plus, he said, the Google hardware effort is still in its infancy. “For Nexus, I don’t think the program is far enough along to think about the necessity of having these things in a retail store,” he said.

As for whether Google as a whole might nonetheless be considering retail stores, “Google has no plans and we have nothing to announce,” he said.

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